Enhanced wide area audio response network
First Claim
1. Method of providing voice messaging services to callers from a wide area network system, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a call from a caller through a communication channel at a first audio peripheral of a plurality of locationally diverse audio peripherals connected to a plurality of communication channels and to a central controller through a network;
in response to control signals received from the central controller, reproducing to the caller audio prompts from digital representations of the audio prompts stored in a storage device of the first audio peripheral;
in response to the reproduced audio prompts, receiving from the caller a caller audio message and a destination number associated with a message recipient;
converting the caller audio message and the destination number into a digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number;
storing the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number at a location in a storage device of the first audio peripheral;
associating an address with the location of the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number;
transferring the address of the location of the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number from the first audio peripheral to the central controller; and
reproducing to the message recipient the caller audio message from a digital representation of the caller audio message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method to provide enhanced wide area audio response services through an enhanced wide area audio response network which includes a central controller and a plurality of audio peripherals distributed over a wide area, each audio peripheral being connected to telephone lines for receiving and originating telephone calls, converting received analog audio signals into digital representations, recording and storing digital representations, converting stored digital representations into analog audio signals, playing audio signals over connected telephone lines, and communicating with, including receiving commands from, the central controller over a Packet Switched Public Data Network (PSPDN), which controller is a highly reliable general purpose controller which offers utility grade service to each audio peripheral and utilizes Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) tables for various applications, including voice messaging, audio text, remote information provider accessing, and testing to provide error notification.
88 Citations
50 Claims
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1. Method of providing voice messaging services to callers from a wide area network system, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a call from a caller through a communication channel at a first audio peripheral of a plurality of locationally diverse audio peripherals connected to a plurality of communication channels and to a central controller through a network; in response to control signals received from the central controller, reproducing to the caller audio prompts from digital representations of the audio prompts stored in a storage device of the first audio peripheral; in response to the reproduced audio prompts, receiving from the caller a caller audio message and a destination number associated with a message recipient; converting the caller audio message and the destination number into a digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number; storing the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number at a location in a storage device of the first audio peripheral; associating an address with the location of the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number; transferring the address of the location of the digital representation of the caller audio message and destination number from the first audio peripheral to the central controller; and reproducing to the message recipient the caller audio message from a digital representation of the caller audio message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; receiving an incoming call on a telephone line at an audio peripheral of a plurality of peripherals from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service, each of the audio peripherals having recording means for recording messages for callers; associating at the audio peripheral a line reference number which identifies the telephone line which received the incoming call; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; converting at the central controller the plurality of instructions into a plurality of commands executable by the audio peripheral; incorporating at the central controller the line reference number with each command of the plurality of commands; transferring the plurality of commands and the incorporated line reference number from the central controller to the audio peripheral; and executing the plurality of commands at the audio peripheral. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An audio response system comprising:
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an audio peripheral means connected to a communication channel for receiving input analog audio signals supplied through said communication channel, for converting said input analog audio signals into digital representations of said input analog audio signals, for storing said digital representations of said input analog audio signals at a storage location having an address, and for associating a channel reference with said digital representations, said channel reference identifying said communication channel; a central controller means connected to said audio peripheral means for controlling the operation of said audio peripheral means, for storing a plurality of instructions associated with a plurality of audio response services, for converting each instruction of said plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by said audio peripheral means, for associating an audio peripheral reference with said command, said audio peripheral reference identifying said audio peripheral means, and for transferring said command to said audio peripheral means; wherein said audio peripheral means includes, at least, means for receiving said command from said central controller means, means for executing said command, means for generating a response to said command, and means for transferring said response to said central controller means; wherein said response includes, at least, said channel reference associated with said communication channel; and wherein said command includes, at least, said audio peripheral reference associated with said audio peripheral means, whereby the central controller means directs operation of the audio peripheral means through the issuance of commands and receipt of responses to provide an audio response service of the plurality of audio response services. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller an instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; and executing the command at the audio peripheral; wherein the command executed at the audio peripheral is a member selected from a group of commands consisting of (i) answer a telephone call, (ii) record analog audio input from a telephone call, (iii) hang-up a telephone call, (iv) initialize a telephone call, and (v) play a particular message from a plurality of messages stored at the audio peripheral.
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46. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller an instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; executing the command at the audio peripheral; generating at the audio peripheral a response to the command executed at the audio peripheral; and transmitting the response from the audio peripheral to the central controller; wherein the response generated at the audio peripheral is a member selected from a group of responses consisting of (i) caller hung up, (ii) dialing complete, (iii) telephone line answered, (iv) recording stopped on silence, and (v) an address of a stored message.
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47. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; associating timing information with an instruction of the plurality of instructions; storing the timing information at the central controller in association with the instruction; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller the instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; retrieving at the central controller the timing information associated with the instruction; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; tracking at the central controller an amount of time elapsed since transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; and comparing at the central controller the timing information and the amount of time elapsed to detect a time out condition.
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48. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; associating a number of expected response digits with an instruction of the plurality of instructions; storing the number of expected response digits at the central controller in association with the instruction; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller the instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; retrieving at the central controller the number of expected response digits associated with the instruction; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; executing the command at the audio peripheral; receiving at the central controller at least one digit from the audio peripheral in response to the step of executing the command at the audio peripheral; counting at the central controller a number of digits received since the step of transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; and comparing at the central controller the number of expected response digits and the number of digits received from the audio peripheral to detect an error condition.
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49. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; storing at the central controller a list of valid telephone numbers; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller an instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; executing the command at the audio peripheral; in response to the command executed at the audio peripheral, receiving at the central controller from the audio peripheral a telephone number associated with a telephone accessible by a party with whom the user wishes to communicate; and comparing the telephone number with the list of valid telephone numbers to determine whether or not the telephone number is a valid telephone number.
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50. Method of providing wide area audio response services to callers from a wide area audio response network system, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing at a central controller a plurality of instructions necessary to implement an audio response service; storing at the central controller a list of valid telephone numbers; associating a time zone with a particular telephone number of the list of valid telephone numbers; storing at the central controller the time zone associated with the particular telephone number; receiving an incoming call at an audio peripheral from a user in response to the user dialing a telephone number associated with the audio response service; notifying the central controller from the audio peripheral through a network connecting the central controller and the audio peripheral that the incoming call has been received by the audio peripheral; retrieving at the central controller an instruction from the plurality of instructions stored at the central controller; converting at the central controller the instruction retrieved from the plurality of instructions into at least one command executable by the audio peripheral; transferring the command from the central controller to the audio peripheral; executing the command at the audio peripheral; in response to the command executed at the audio peripheral, receiving at the central controller from the audio peripheral the particular telephone number which is associated with a telephone accessible by a party with whom the user wishes to communicate; and accessing the list of valid telephone numbers to determine the time zone associated with the particular telephone number.
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Specification